Exposure to specific polychlorinated biphenyls and some chlorinated pesticides via breast milk in Poland

The aim of our study was to obtain the data on the exposure of breast-fed infants to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the Wielkopolska province (Poland). The levels of indicator PCBs, and selected OCPs, including two DDT metabolites (HCB, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE and α,β,γ-HCH) were determined in 27 human milk samples, collected in 2000–2001, according to WHO protocol. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of all analytes were calculated. Our results were compared with those obtained by an analysis of human milk samples from other European and non-European countries, collected in the same period time. We have stated that median exposure of Wielkopolska first breast-fed infants to OCPs is comparable (EDIHCB = 0.086 μg/kg bw/day; EDIβ-HCH = 0.063 μg/kg bw/day) or higher (EDIp,p′-DDE = 3.495 μg/kg bw/day) than in other European countries, while exposure to PCBs (EDI∑7PCB = 0.364 μg/kg bw/day) is situated at the low end of the intake of these xenobiotics by breast-fed infants from different regions of Europe.